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W. D. BROOKS. PROCESS OF PRESERVING FRUITS AND OTHER PERISHABLE ARTICLES.

No. 66,208. Patented Ju1y2, 1867.

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IMPROVED PRQGF SS OPPRESERVING FRUITS AND OTHER PERISHABLE ARTIGLES.

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To ALL WHOM IT MAY oononnm Be it known that I, WILLIAM D, Brooks, of Baltimore, in the county-of Baltimore,.and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful improvement in Process fonPreserving Fruits, '&c.; and I do hereby declare that the "following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and

Figure 2 a central vertical section of apparatus used in my process.

Similar letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

The nature of my invention .relates to an improvement in the method of expelling air from cans, jars, or other vessels for containing of fresh fruits, or other. perishabel articles of food, by means of hot sirups or other liquids preparatory to sealing them up hermetically, and also to the use of steam in the operation. Heretofore fresh fruits have been preserved for future use by pouring hot sirnp over and upon the same until the liquid had filled all the interstices between the fruit, and the can containing them o'verfldtved. But by this means the air can be but partially enpello'd from the fruit, 8110., so that it has always been found necessary to continue heating the vessel until its contents were partially cooked in order to obtain a preservation thereof, even when subsequently hermetically sealed.

The object of my invention is to expel the air wholly from the fruit or other articles when packed in a can or other vessel, by a flow or current of hot liquid or of steam, or of the two combined, introduced into the can under aficd beneath its contents, thereby obviating the necessity of a' subsequent cooking thereof. I have attained this object by the'use of an extended tube containing a column of hot liquid, which, being inserted i into the can through its upper open end, shall allow the quantity required in filling the can to flow into the same under strong pressure at or near thebott'om thereof, and from beneath. its contentsfand by the admission of a very fine jet of steam in combination with the liquid. By this means the air is not in any manner confined by the liquid, but is forced out before it so completely as that it is only needed to seal the can after it has been so" filled, and the contents of the can are at the-same time sufficiently scalded to insure their complete preservation.

To enable others skilled in the art to use this my invention, I will proceed to describe the mode of accomplishing the same. i I

The fruitor other article is first packed in cans or'other vessels so constructed as that they my be readily closed air-tight. These cans are then arranged upon a table or stand, X, so constructed as that it may be readily elevated sufficiently to c ause the ends of tubes supplying the preserving sirup and steam to enter the same and penetrate to theibottom thereof. These tubesB are quite small, and so pointed as to pass doivn readily through the fruit. They each connect with a common reservoir or fountain, G, and are opened and closed by means of suitable cocks a. The reservoiror fountain C is closed and providedwith an aperture at thetop, which is made large enough to admit of a thorough cleansing of the reservoir through the same. This opening, is closed hermetically by a plug, b, screwing into the same, and in 'which is formed a smaller aperture to receive, when required, a filling-tube. This smaller aperture may be fitted with'a cook, or be also cit-zed by a screw-plug c. The fountain or reservoir is heated by an encircling steamer hot-air space or chest, 1), formed by an outer jacket or casing, d, extending its entire length to the point at which the supply-tubes B arefitted thereto. Small steam pipes, E, connecting either with the space D or directly with a steam boiler, are carried down each of the supplying tubes B, either within the same or upon the exterior thereof, and terminate each in a very fine jet-aperture at the mouthof the tube. A thermometer,f, may be inserted in the cover of the reservoir to indicate at all times the temperature of its contents. False caps or covers R may be secured upon the supply-tubes B, so that when the tubes areinserted into the cans these covers shall fit down upon the top thereof to prevent loss of heat. The table or stand X, upon which the cans are placed while being thus pro-.

cessed, may be itself heated or fitted with a hot-water bath, c, in which the cans shall stand until sealed.

The operation of my process is as follows The sirup, for, fruit, or other liquid, for vegetables &c., to be: used, is first poured into the reservoir 0 at a bcfling heat, and the reservoir closed hermetically. Steam or hot air-is then introduced into the encircling space I), use steambyprefeiencm) and the sirup thereby kept constantly at so high a temperature as to create a strqng pressure within the reservoir. When the cans of fruit, vegetables, or other articles are properly filled and arranged upon the stand X beneath the supply-tubes,

as shown in fig. 2, the stand is elevated by means of a treadle or other mechanism until the supply-tubes'B severally reach a point very near the bottom of each can, and the false caps R cover the openings in the top thereof, as illustrated by red lines, fig. 2. The cocks at of the supply-tubes are then opened, and at. once a current of the hot sirup, or liquid contained under strong pressure in thereservoir C, flows into each can beneath its contents, and, rapidly filling all vacant sp'aces therein and the cells vof the fruit, displaces the all therefrom,-forcing it'out before it as it flowsand fills upward to the top. So soon as the sirup has thus commenced to fill the cans the cocks of the steam-jet pipe E are also opened, and jets of steam at a very high temperature mingling with the sirup, maintain the heat thereof, and prevent it from becoming cooled by content with the fruit. When the air has thus been displaced from the cans or-othervessels, thestand X is allowed to drop down from the tubes B, and the cans are removed and immediately capped and sealed air-tight, and the operation is complete. I v i I contemplate'the use of steam alone in the preservation of tomatoes and other articles containing sufii. cientvfluid'in and of themselves, tho'operation being as above described, but without a flow of liquid,'although I prefer to carry the cans up to the tubes upon a movable platform or table under the-same, arranged to be elvated'by means of a treadle or other suitable mechanism though I contemplate effecting the same in other ways. After being filled, the cans are to be hermetically sealed in any approved' manner, and may be subsequently reheated in a hot-water bath where. occasion may require it. i

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure" by Letters Patent Filling'cans or other vessels containing fresh; fruits or other perishable articles with hot sirnp or other fluids, by means of a. supply-tube delivering-the same under pressure at or near the bottom of the can, substantialiy in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

I claim also the use of steam in the process of preserving fruits and other perishable articles, when delivered into the vessels containing the same substantially in the mannerand for the purpose-herein set forth.

I claim also the combination of a steam or hot-air space, 1), with a reservoir, G, to "encircle the same and maintain its contents in a heated state, when said supply pipe is arranged to operate :substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. i a

= WILLIAM D. 'BROQKS,

Witnesses:

Row. -A. McALLIsrnn, W9 FRANCIS BEALL. 

